Strikezone

SEYMOUR — A year and a day ago, an underdog softball team from East Haven visited top-seeded Seymour in the Class M state tournament and lost a one-run game on an outfield error.

Friday's quarterfinal between the Yellowjackets and Wildcats played out the same way, save one key detail: East Haven benefitted from an outfield error this time and won a 1-0 game in eight innings.

The No. 6 Yellowjackets (21-4) will face No. 2 Granby in a semifinal next week.

With a scoreless game in the top of the eighth, East Haven leadoff hitter Amanda Jessey lined a ball down the left field line. Seymour's Morgan Scinto charged the ball and got to the spot, but the ball deflected off her glove for a two-base error.

"It was a carbon copy of last year," East Haven coach Ed Crisafi said. "(Katie) Petroski's hit to left center off Jenna (Gaudioso's) glove, we thought she should have caught, and we thought that girl should have had that one, too."

Two batters later, freshman Allie Luzzi cracked a single to right center that brought in Jessey for the game's only run.

"I really haven't been hitting, but I knew today was the day I was going to get out of the slump," said Luzzi, who was 3-for-4. "I just go out there and play like I know how because I've been playing forever. It's just natural. I take the pressure out of my

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head and just play."

East Haven appeared to add an insurance run later in the inning when Miranda Baldassare singled in Luzzi, but Seymour (21-4) coach Ken Pereiras brought to the umpire's attention that Baldassare had never been re-entered into the lineup after being removed for a pinch runner in the sixth. She was called out, and Luzzi never made it home.

"We noticed the inning that it happened," Pereiras said. "My scorekeeper said that they didn't re-enter her, and I approached the umpire and he told us not to do anything until she came up to bat. Since she got a hit, we had to use it."

Crisafi, a 61-year-old coach in his 20th season, acknowledged the error.

"I told the girls if we had lost that game, that would have been the worst I've felt in 61 years," Crisafi said. "If it weren't for me, we would have had a 2-0 lead with runners on second and third and one out."

Seymour mounted a rally in the bottom half of the eighth, but couldn't plate a run off Talia Loda. Loda struck out Petroski for the second time to lead off the inning, but Carissa Wasikowski and Makayla O'Hara eventually gave the Wildcats runners on first and second with two outs. Loda induced a fielder's choice grounder by Raeanne Geffert to end the game.

"I was just hitting my spots really well today," Loda said. "There were two outs and I was just looking for that last out. I knew my team was going to come up with it."

The Wildcats had their best chance to score in the sixth when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Jessey made an over-the-shoulder grab on Sarah Molin's foul pop to end the threat.

Loda spun a four-hitter with seven strikeouts. Scinto bunted for two of Seymour's hits while Petroski and O'Hara had the others.

"She threw the ball away and we were trying to pull everything," Pereiras said. "We couldn't get around on her and she blew it by a few of our big hitters. Our pitcher pitched really well, but our big bats couldn't come through with big hits."

Geffert allowed only five runners through the first seven innings before surrendering the unearned run in the eighth. The freshman fanned nine and walked two.

"She's come a long way," Pereiras said. "At the beginning of the season, we weren't sure if she would be the pitcher or if we would use a senior. We decided to go with her and she's been great. That's a great eight innings, and if we catch that ball we'd still be playing."

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